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The most popular brands were based on market share using figures from the Australian Energy Regulator (AER's) Annual retail markets report 2019-20 (Table 2.1). Keep in mind that the most popular brand may not always be the best for you, and you're encouraged to compare for yourself to find one that works for you.
These deals are from retailers on our database that include a link to their website or a form from an energy broker. Prices are based on a residential customer in Adelaide, South Australia (Postcode: 5000) who consumes 4,000 kWh a year on a single rate tariff in the SA Power Networks. We show one plan per provider and the estimated price includes conditional discounts. Any plans with special eligibility requirements are excluded from this list. Your actual bill may vary, depending on your usage.
Based on the AER annual model usage in the SA Power Networks network, the AER reference price is $1,832 / year.
Electricity charges may have changed in VIC, NSW, QLD, SA, ACT, and TAS on 1 January 2021 and could also change on 1st February. Our pricing and estimates below may not take these possible changes into account.
Please confirm plan details with the provider before making a decision.
Prices last checked on January 2021 and are subject to change. You can compare plans by price using our engine below. Please use our engine for a specific comparison in your postcode.
Get me prices using my postcode
Although there is no 'best' retailer, to give you a general guide, we looked at the 10 largest retailers that are available in South Australia (by customers) and ranked them by the smallest proportion of complaints to a retailer's total customers. For an even wider look at the energy market, you can also check out some of our picks for the best in Australia.
Retailer | Number of customers | Number of complaints | Complaints as a proportion of customers |
---|---|---|---|
Diamond Energy | 9,661 | 23 | 0% |
Powershop | 52,871 | 169 | 1% |
Locality Planning Energy | 26,253 | 118 | 0% |
amaysim Energy | 95,212 | 1,203 | 1% |
Origin Energy | 1,831,948 | 26,598 | 1% |
Dodo | 47,839 | 782 | 2% |
EnergyAustralia | 1,044,384 | 17,806 | 2% |
1st Energy | 16,096 | 395 | 2% |
AGL | 1,390,017 | 41,703 | 3% |
Alinta Energy | 352,679 | 13,782 | 4% |
Source: AER, Annual retail markets report 2019-20 (Table 2.1 & 5.2)
1Our research found that the average quarterly electricity bill in Australia is around $345. Among the four states, SA has the most expensive rate at $371 per quarter.
State | Average quarterly bill | Annual bill |
---|---|---|
New South Wales | $358 | $1,432 |
Victoria | $340 | $1,360 |
Queensland | $348 | $1,392 |
South Australia | $371 | $1,484 |
1.Average bills per state are based on Finder's Customer Sentiment Tracker. Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker takes responses from 16,000 Australians to get an average figure. The last number was last checked in August 2020. We will continue to update this data.
As of 15 January 2021, the cheapest estimated price that we found for a plan in SA (Postcode: 5000) is $1,400 per year ($350 per quarter). If the average bill holder was to switch to the cheapest plan, they would be able to save $84 in the year.
Comparison | Quarterly | Annual |
---|---|---|
Average bill | $371 | $1,484 |
Cheapest plan available (estimated price)2 | $350 | $1,400 |
Savings | -$21 | -$84 |
2.The cheapest price available on Finder was found by searching our engine for results using the following postcodes: (5000 - Adelaide). Prices are based on a residential customer who consumes the following amount of energy per year on a single rate tariff: (4,000 kWh for SA). Prices are subject to change.
South Australia residents can choose from the following energy retailers:
Link to provider review | ⚡ Electricity | ♨️ Gas | ☀️ Solar |
---|---|---|---|
AGL | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Alinta | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
amaysim | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Amber Electric | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Click Energy | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Diamond Energy | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Discover Energy | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Dodo | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Energy Locals | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
EnergyAustralia | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Lumo Energy | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Momentum Energy | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Origin Energy | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Powerdirect | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Powerclub | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Powershop | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
QEnergy | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
ReAmped | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
Red Energy | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Simply Energy | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
If you've already looked at our picks for the best energy in Australia, and you're after more information around the actual plans available in South Australia, you've come to the right place. Here are some of the main electricity plans in South Australia:
Fixed rate power, with rates no longer fixed after 12 months. There are no exit fees, and you get the choice between 10% to 100% GreenPower. Linking your flybuys card can earn you points when paying your bill.
The Total Plan will give you fixed energy rates plus a guaranteed whole bill discount for the first 12 months you're connected. If you opt in, your plan will switch to carbon neutral after 6 months, and you can choose anywhere from 10% to 100% GreenPower.
Get fixed rate power and flexible billing options, with rates turning variable after 12 months. If you're after GreenPower, you can choose between 25% and 100%. Linking your Everyday Rewards account will net you bonus points, 25% GreenPower for free, and additional points when paying your bill.
Receive variable rate electricity without any connection fee for moving, plus monthly billing and flexible payments. If you pre-purchase power via "Powerpacks" on the Powershop store, you can get a discount on energy. 100% GreenPower is available.
Variable rate power with quarterly billing and e-communications. There's no lock in contract, and you can pick up 10% GreenPower, if desired.
Note: Plan information last checked on December 2020.
To help you find out what energy discounts are available to you, we searched through all the energy plans available to South Australians. These are the major discount types on offer:
The most common type of discount in South Australia is a guaranteed discount. Discounts usually only apply for a set period of time and then expire, something known as the benefit period.
Discount type | Example | Providers that offer the discount |
---|---|---|
Bill credits | $75 credit for online sign up Up to $40/$240 bonus credit p.a. | AGL AGL |
Pay on time discounts | Discount on total bill Discount on total usage | Diamond Energy Elysian Energy |
Direct debit discounts | Diamond Energy | |
Guaranteed discounts | Discount on total bill Discount on total usage | Energy Australia, Origin Energy, Powerdirect Origin Energy |
Other special discounts | Mega Pack Free Power Bonus | Powershop Energy Locals |
Last checked December 2019
A rebate or concession is an amount of money refunded on your energy bill. To get a rebate, you'll usually need to meet a certain condition, such as being a concession card holder.
Your rebate will either be a flat dollar amount or a percentage of your bill. To see what South Australia has available, check out our guide to energy rebates and concessions under the South Australian section.
Like many states, South Australia splits power use into two periods: peak and off-peak. Unlike other states, though, very few retailers offer time-of-use tariffs that actually differentiate pricing between these periods, and will usually only sell them to businesses. Here's how they're defined for the plans that do:
A meter reading can be carried out either by you or a qualified technician. The technician route is simple, only requiring you to make sure the technician can access your meter easily alone. A smart meter cannot be manually read.
Before reading your own meter, do a quick safety check. Inspect the meter and its housing for any signs of damage from water, animals, or melted and burned pieces. How you read your meter will depend on what kind you have, explained in our meter reading guide in more detail.
Electricity bills in South Australia are required to be delivered every 3 months at least, but retailers may decide to deliver them monthly instead. Here's how three big energy providers handle billing in the state:
Moving house requires you to cut off power at the old address and switch on the lights at the new one. Failing to update your energy accounts may result in you paying for other people's usage. Here's how you can handle it:
South Australians who don't sort out their energy account when moving in may receive "dear customer/occupier" letters from the current supplier of power to the property. Ignoring these letters can result in your utilities being cut off, so make sure you sort your energy arrangements as soon as possible.
In South Australia, there is only a single electricity distributor, SA Power Networks. They will charge you a fee for connecting and disconnecting your properties as shown in this table.
Distributor | Connection/disconnection fee |
---|---|
SA Power Networks | $50.25 |
To ensure you have access to the best electricity deals, here are the key terms you should understand and look out for:
The more competitive the energy market in South Australia, the more choices you have as a consumer. Lots of providers offer discounts, tailored plans and special offers depending on when and how you use your electricity and gas, so taking your personal needs into account is essential to getting the best deal. Before buying, ask yourself:
Knowing the answer to these questions should make it much easier to find the cheapest electricity plans in SA.
If you're ready to compare plan features, here's what to look for:
Feature | Details |
---|---|
Tariff options | You can usually choose between a single rate tariff or one that charges you a time of use tariff. |
Discounts | You can get discounts for paying on time, for signing long-term contracts and for bundling gas and electricity plans together. Many energy plans offer discounts — the key is to find one that extends its discounts to customers beyond the first stages of your contract. |
Cancellation fees | Watch out for policies with termination fees. This can range from around $40 to $100 and will be specified in your contract. No-lock-in contracts are a viable alternative if you don't want cancellation fees. |
Payment | If you're not sure you will be able to pay bills on time with one form of payment, go for a flexible plan. If you want to save, you can often get a discount for paying with a credit card. |
Digital energy tools | You can measure your energy consumption with a range of apps and online tools. Knowing exactly what and where your energy use comes from could help you find a better deal in the future. |
Consider adding in definitions of "standing offer", "reference price", and "default market offer (DMO)" instead of leaving in a separate section. Also consider cutting or condensing entries like tariff types and termination fees (almost no energy plans have fixed contracts with exit fees).
Your choice of retail provider can make a noticeable difference to the size of your energy bill. Once you've compared electricity and gas plans and chosen a new provider, it's relatively easy to switch. It's simply a matter of applying with the new provider and cancelling your existing plan. Your new provider should generally be able to supply your energy by the next day.
Important notes: The estimated price we show by default is based on a single rate tariff. On your bill this might be known as a 'peak tariff', 'peak only' or an 'anytime tariff'. There are other tariff types available to customers and you may need to contact your provider if you are on these tariffs:
The price estimate should not be used as an official quote, but an indication of what your costs may be on the plan. It varies based on whether you provide us with your bill details. You can learn more here.
Picture: GettyImages
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